Fears
by bigdogneversleeps
Summary: An abilityshipping fic saga dealing with many other ships as well, but also of fears, from Ash's fears of loves to others. UPDATE: Multiple storylines intersect, dealing from the range of Anabel wanting a date, Red talking with Scott, and Brocks felings
1. Fear of Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

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><p>Ash feared love.<p>

It wasn't that he was terrified by it, like Misty with bugs. But he did everything in his power to ignore, so he would not succumb to it.

It never was the Ash was dense on the subject, years of being read romance novels and watching romantic movies as a kid cured him of that. It was that he was legitimately afraid of it, which is why he ignored girls in that manner. Though he was dense the rest of the time, he had no problem with romance. He played dumb, so dumb that he was able to convince himself that he was oblivious.

But he wasn't.

By the time Rudi came along in the Orange Islands, Ash was sure that Misty had a crush on him. He had always expected (it was JUST a bike) it, but choosing him over the forward Rudi confirmed it. He had no such feelings of that manner, even ones he tried to ignore. He liked Misty as a friend, and that was it. He played dumb to keep Misty around, hoping she would outgrow the crush and that they could be best friends. Ash had feared that this would be impossible after the groups split in Johto, but when they met for the Wallace Cup, he saw that the feelings had stopped, and he and Misty could just be best friends.

Then, there was the enigma of May. He could never tell what she wanted, and he had theories that it was for him. He thought that the incident with Oscar and Andi would confirm them, but they didn't. He just thanked Jirachi that she fell for Drew, as it made his lift simpler.

Then with Dawn… he knew that she thought he was cute. He had eavesdropped her saying it to Zoey. But there was a bit too large of an age gap between the two, and Dawn recognized this. So Ash never had a problem with love with her.

Iris was in love with either him or Cilan. He could never tell which. But she never acted on them. So he never had to deal with that issue

There were, on his travels, a few people that he knew fell for him. That was one thing that he did not like about himself, that he was so lovable. There had been Macy, the Johto fan girl. And then there was Angie, from the Pokémon Summer Camp. The two Bianca's (of Altomare and Unova.) There may have been others, but he hadn't noticed, so he was okay with it. He never had any problems with any of them, and could consider some friends and others rivals. Despite all the girls that had fawned over him, he never had any troubles.

Except for her. Except for Anabel

She, like those before and after her, had fallen for Ash, and that was not a surprise to Ash. He had grown used to it, and with what had happened between the two, he had somewhat expected it. What he hadn't expected, though, was Anabel telling him to read her heart and pretty much telling him she had a crush on him. That was the last thing he expected, but he played it cool. He fibbed, and the group left, with Anabel none the wiser that Ash knew.

She probably hoped, or maybe even prayed that he would comeback, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't because he was afraid. Afraid of her.

No girl had ever been that direct with him. Misty may have given signals, and Macy wanted to go on a date, but no girl had ever tried telling him that they loved him. She loved him, and do you know what the worst thing of it all was?

He had a crush on her too.

He had been so good in avoiding love, and avoiding crushes, avoiding everything that is tied with it, but he fell for her. He had tried ignoring it for months after their meeting, well over a year. He had made it halfway through Unova before he was forced to admit it to himself. That he wanted to be with Anabel.

And it sickened him.

Not that anything was wrong with Anabel, (that was in fact the problem), but he was sickened with himself. The one thing he had promised himself as a kid, he violated it. So, for a while, he tried to friend it out of his system. So he began to get in contact with Anabel a lot. Trying to become good friends with her. He began to just talk, treat her like a normal friend. Anything to extinguish his love for her,

After he finished the Unova region, he went back to Kanto and stayed for a while, just training his Pokémon. He hung out a lot with his past friends and Anabel. Especially Anabel. He tried to force his feelings away, to drown them with the feelings of friendship. And those feelings of friendship grew exponentially. They grew to know each other very well. After a few month stay in Kanto, Anabel's friendship with Ash began to rival Misty's and Pikachu's. He thought that the love would have drowned.

But it grew.

It grew to be as big as the friendship they shared. It became obvious to their friends they were an unofficial thing, and he hated it. They teased him, and he tried to stop it, but it was no use.

And it was not like he could go and crush Anabel's feelings for him. They were best friends, and best friends don't do that. Best friends don't tell the other lies like that. So nothing was said at all. Until Brock pushed Ash over the edge.

Brock was teasing him with the ease that he had with getting a girlfriend when he snapped at Brock. He yelled at him. Called him every bad name in the book. Degraded him. Tried everything to hurt Brock's feelings, but it didn't work. Brock was worried about him, and made him explain what was going on

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><p>Dialogue will come. Please review. Hope you enjoyed.<p> 


	2. Fear of Ash loving

After thinking about things, this will be the first story of a few that will deal with the concept at hand, all on the same timeline, meaning canon to one another. Enjoy this please

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon**

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><p>Do I really have to, Brock?" Ash grumbled, afraid to look at his long-time traveling buddy. They were in Ash's house, alone in his living room as Delia was out of town for the week.<p>

Brock's glare pierced Ash. "I would say so. You just insulted me a thousand times over to hide something, and I think I deserve to know why."

Ash kept his gaze away from Brock's. "It's because you keep saying me and Anabel are together, but we aren't." Pikachu jumped into the now-sitting Ash's lap, and Ash began to pet him. "And I have told you guys this a thousand times, but you keep making that joke. So I snapped at you." Ash turned his head towards Brock. "There, you happy?"

"Not even close." Brock began, and he put his hands on the armrests, entrapping Ash to the chair. "There is no way that would make you mad. It is obvious to everyone that you both are madly in love with each other, whether you want to admit to it or not, and there is no reason for you to be mad about people saying that the two of you should be together."

"That's it." Ash's voice was bitter.

Brock replied in anger. "No it isn't Ash." He moved one of his hands from the armrests and forced Ash to look at him. Ash's eyes were red, and tears were coming down his face. Ash hadn't wanted Brock to see him like this, but it was too late. Ash shoved Pikachu off of him, riling him up a little, and stood up, Brock letting him get up. Their eyes never broke.

"You want to know the reason why I don't like people saying we should be together Brock? It is because you are all right. I love Anabel. She loves me. We are meant to be together. And it makes me sick to think about it." Ash blinked, and found the courage to walk away, but Brock ran ahead of him and blocked his exit.

"What do you mean, Ash? What is so wrong with loving Anabel?" Brock had regained eye contact, and Ash gave in.

"Anabel is perfect. There is nothing wrong with loving her. What's wrong is that I'm in love, and that is the last thing I ever wanted to happen."

Brock was confused. "What do you mean, Ash?"

Ash walked away and sat back down. "You guys always thought I was dense, and that I never knew who liked me, and anything about love. I may be dense, but I know love. I knew Misty was in love with me. I know girls have been interested. That was never an issue. It is just, that I do not want love in my life." Brock walked away from the exit and sat down.

"Why wouldn't you want to love someone. Love is the most magical feeling in the world. The fact you don't want it… makes no sense."

"I have my reasons, ok?"

Brock shook his head, "I don't see any reason that you can have to hurt Anabel like that. You both love each other, yet you are keeping her from getting what she should be able to have."

Ash looked at Brock. "Don't you think I know that? Anabel deserves everything in the world, everything that she wants. I just wish it wasn't me."

Brock sat down across from him." You still aren't making any sense. Why don't you want to be loved? Why don't you want to feel love?"

Ash tucked his chin into his chest. "Does it really matter why? Anyway, you wouldn't understand. You are looking for love with anyone, so you could never understand."

"Try me." Ash looked up, confused. "I said try me. Explain to me why you are refusing Anabel."

"Why are you refusing me?" A voice asked. Anabel walked into the room, quietly. She had snuck into the house earlier, planning to surprise Ash. She ignored Brock, and sat on Ash's lap. "And yes, I was eavesdropping." She said to Ash before he could open up his mouth. "And yes, I already knew he loved me and that something in him tried to quell that feeling." She said this to Brock, nodding. "You should have realized I would have known, with my powers and all." She smiled at Ash, and then frowned. She placed her head under his chin, and put her arms around him. Ash, despite his desires, did the same. He grunted.

"Why did I have to fall in love with you?" He spoke softly into Anabel's ear, but Brock could still here. "You are too good for me." Ash placed his cheek on the top of the head. "Why did you have to fall in love with me? You could have done better." Ash felt his cheek being shook, forced by the shaking of Anabel's head.

"How? I mean, how could I have found a guy half as good as you. You are handsome and brave, and passionate and heroic and sweet and loyal. You are perfect in every way." Ash shuddered when she said that.

"I'm not, though, I'm dense, only care about my pokémon, always gets caught by the stupid plans of Team Rocket, and would use a Caterpie against a Pidgeotto and a Pikachu against an Onix. I am anything but perfect."

"No, it means that you can always learn more, and you are very passionate about your dreams, and just get harassed by a bunch of idiots that recognize that you have great pokémon. And about the type disadvantages? Didn't that occur at like, the very start of your journeys? That was years ago! You have matured a lot since then. You are perfect." Anabel hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right thing to do, but she shook off the feeling. She then gave Ash a kiss on the lips. It was soft and gentle, lingering for a few seconds before she drifted her lips away from his. It was a bold move, as Ash had said specifically in the past no kissing, but Anabel hoped it was the right one.

Ash sat in awe for a minute, and a smile crept over his face. The touch of her lips gave him goose bumps at their incredibleness. He pulled her in for another, but just as their lips met, Ash pulled away. He then shoved Anabel off of him and kept his eyes away from Brock and Anabel. Anabel was visibly hurt, Brock saw, and decided to cut in before she did something she regretted.

"What the hell, Ash! Even if you are so gung-ho against love as to refuse a kiss, you don't go shoving your best friend away from you like she's a piece of trash, you jerk!" Brock saw that Ash's eyes begin to glimmer, and hesitated. It left an opening for Anabel.

"Why?" Brock had expected more, more violence, but all there was in those three letters were hurt, pure pain. His attention shifted to Ash getting up and going to the trunk in the corner of his room. He slowly opened it, and dug his hands to the bottom, where he pulled out an old photo album. He closed the trunk, and walked back to his seat. Before he sat down, he gave Anabel a hug, as if to apologize. Anabel just stood there, taking it in, waiting for an answer. Ash sighed when he realized this, and plopped into the chair. He turned to the first page of the book, where there was a photo of Ash, but it couldn't have been. The photo was old, Brock and Anabel realized. It also looked like he had blue, not brown eyes. He was also a little taller, and wearing clothes that they never saw Ash in. They were both confused, until Anabel figured it out. She whispered something, saying it to herself. Brock asked her what she said, but Ash cut her off with his response.

"Because I'm afraid I'll be like him."

Brock was still confused, but Anabel explained with her answer for his previous question.

"His father."

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><p>Until I update again. Please review!<p> 


	3. Fear of Father

The final part of this story is now up! But do not worry, this is not the end of the saga, far from it. There will be multiple stoires about this universe, not all based around Anabel and Ash but all part of the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

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><p>Brock wasn't sure what to say on the matter. In all of his years of friendship, and traveling together, the question of Ash's father was never brought up. It was taboo, like talking about Misty's parents or Professor Ivy. Brock wanted to hide in the corner, but now was not the time to do it. He needed to help his friend.<p>

"Ash… you aren't your father." Brock wasn't entirely sure of the reason for his bitterness, so he played it safe.

Ash pointed to the picture. "Really, Brock? I look just like him. And from what my mom told me about him, we are a lot alike. His traveling companion was Pikachu, his powerhouse was a Charizard, and his wisest pokémon was a Bulbasaur. He used to travel around with 2 friends, one a gym leader and the other was a girl's bike he destroyed. He was dense and once fought against a Raichu with a Magikarp. He loved his pokémon a lot and never gave up on them. He was kind, and gentle, and brave. I am just my father, just younger." He slammed the photo album shut and dropped it on the floor next to him. He wanted to burn it, but his mom would kill him if he did it. He just looked at it, the photo album mocking him by re-opening to the face of his father. The more he looked at that picture, the angrier he got. It showed, so Anabel swooped in and tried to calm him down.

"So, what? That is just a bunch of coincidences. Did he ever win the Orange League, or beat the Battle Frontier? Did he ever save the world from half a dozen legendaries threatening it? Did he ever have friends as good to you as Misty, Brock, Dawn, Cilan, Iris, May and Max? Did he?"

Ash shook his head. "No. But he could have done a bunch of things just like that." He shook his head more vigorously. "And it does matter! I am a lot like my father in every way imaginable. And it makes me feel horrible." Anabel looked on in care, with Brock in deep thought.

"And if you are like your dad, why does it matter to you so much?" Anabel asked, touching his shoulder, but Ash brushed it off, a look of annoyance on his face, directed towards Anabel.

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked himself aloud. "I mean, I can understand why, but still. Why don't you get it?" He asked Anabel directly.

Anabel was being controlled by her emotions as she screamed, "Get what?"

Brock cut in at that moment, preventing a response by Ash. "What really happened to your father, Ash. I asked your mom once, but she said he was on his journey. But I want to know what really is going on."

Ash had a look of disgust when he turned to Brock. "I told you to never bring that up, Brock. The one thing I asked we never talk about between us. We all agreed to it when we began our trip to Johto. We don't talk about my dad, Misty's parents, and whatever the fuck happened in the Orange Islands between you and Professor Ivy. And you go behind my back, talk to my mom about it. What the hell, man? What the hell?"

Brock was so into this conversation he didn't sulk at the mention of Professor Ivy. "I was curious, ok? I'm sorry that I'm human." He huffed. "And now, it really matters. It actually matters what the hell happened with your father, because it is messing with you now, hurting the girl that loves you and pissing off one of your best friends. So just tell us!"

Ash could be stubborn at times. "No. Not unless you tell us about what happened with you and Ivy."

Brock moaned. "Really? How old are you Ash? This is not when we began, when I let some punk kid get away with a badge since he set off some fire sprinklers to weaken my Onix, and I decided to travel with that punk to help him on his way. You are almost an adult, Ash. Act it!"

Ash smirked. "Then you need to grow up, too. You hit on every god damn girl that he cross that you find a little bit attractive, and it is really fucking annoying. Sure, there was always a Misty, a Max, a Croagunk to stop you. But it really is a kid thing to do. Hell, I'm surprised you never hit on Anabel! She's really hot, too!"

Anabel blushed in spite of herself. "Ash, I'm asking. I'm asking as your friend. What happened in between you and your father?" Ash relaxed at the question and sighed.

He gave a quick glance to Brock. "You will tell us what happened with Ivy, since I have to tell you this." Brock just nodded, wanting to hear the story. "The truth is nothing ever happened with my father." Anabel and Brock had confused looks on their faces, so Ash continued." The truth is, I never met my father. He met my mom, fell in love for a while, found out she was pregnant, and left to continue his journey. He doesn't even know my name, what I look like, anything. He just got up, said he needed to do it for his quest to be a pokémon master, and left my mom. And I hate him for it. He didn't even have the courtesy to meet his son, his own flesh and blood." He began to cry at this point, and Anabel held him. "And my mom had a tough time raising me, you know? Had to work 3 jobs, look for help from friends, know the right people. If she never won that mini-lottery, we would have been screwed. And I'm scared." He paused, controlling himself so he would stop crying. "I'm scared that I will do the same. Meet a girl, like you Anabel, fall in love, get her pregnant and leave. I saw what my mom went through, remembered her working like hell to give me a good place to live. I remembered not getting dinners some nights, because I got sick and she couldn't work, so we lost a bit of the food budget. I don't want a kid to go through that, someone I love to go through that."

Brock had a guilty look on his face, and turned away from Ash, unable to look him in the eye. Anabel held him close to her chest, not letting him leave. Ash was crying his eyes out still, though he was trying to stop. Anabel buried his face in her chest, trying to help him cry out the pain. Ash realized where his face was and stopped crying. He was now embarrassed.

"Anabel?"

"Yes, Ash."

"Why are you trying to suffocate me with your boobs?"

Anabel blushed, but didn't let Ash go. Brock chuckled, mainly at Ash's childish reaction to the situation.

"So?"

"Could you stop suffocating me with your boobs?"

"What, don't you like my boobs?" Brock began to laugh loudly at the ridiculousness of the conversation.

If Ash wasn't buried in Anabel, his blushing would have been obvious to the entire town of Pallet. "Umm… they are…very…VERY nice, but…I would rather like the ability to breathe!" Anabel relented, smiling at the now only mildly blushing Ash who rested his head on her chest. Ash gave a look at the still giggling Brock. Brock sobered up temporarily, but began to laugh again.

"Come on, Ash. I don't get the problem. A girl was coddling you in her chest. That would be a dream of mine. Why are you looking like it's a bad thing?" Brock had managed to stop giggling by the time he finished.

Ash glared. "Have you already forgotten the soul-wrenching confession I gave almost a minute ago explaining my fears of being a bad boyfriend and terrible father?"

Brock shook his head." No, but I think you are being ridiculous. Sure, you might be like your dad, but you aren't your dad. You wouldn't be the type of guy who would leave a girl pregnant and never look back. You have too good of a heart."

Ash looked up at Brock with wide brown eyes. "How do you know, Brock? For sure? My mom thought the same thing about my dad, but she was wrong."

Brock just had a distant look in his eyes." If I know one thing, Ash, is that you are not the type of guy who would leave someone like that. To do that, there has to be something in your personality that would let you do that. And you don't have that."

Ash looked down, and smiled. "Thanks, Brock. I needed to hear that. If I can trust anyone's opinion, it would be yours. You have known me forever."

Brock broke away from the distant look on his face to smile at Ash. "Thanks, Ash. And, I'm curious about one thing." Brock put up one finger. "Now that I think about it, the face in the picture looks familiar, and I just don't mean 'cause it looks like yours. Who was your dad?"

Ash sighed. "I told you this much, so I might as well tell you this. You probably recognized him from the hall of champions at the Indigo Plateau. He is considered the youngest champion in history. My dad is the former great Red Sato."

Anabel's eyes popped. "Red Sato?" Surprise filled her face. Ash nodded his head. Anabel looked away, thinking to herself.

"Then why haven't I heard of him before? You would think he would be really famous and stuff." Brock asked.

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "He was champion for a few years when he was younger than me, but he lost it to some guy named Silver Soulster. Then, his main pokémon got really hurt, so bad they couldn't battle anymore. He was left to start over, but he didn't find pokémon strong enough to regain his throne. He tried to train, but mom said it didn't work, so he left again to find pokémon who would be strong enough so he could become champion. I haven't heard of him since."

Anabel raised her hand. "I have." Ash looked up at the girl he had been laying on, confused. "He was the most recent runner-up of the Hoenn League Championship. He only lost since his powerhouse was too hurt too battle for him. He looked like you, but I thought nothing of it." Ash and Brock had confused looks on their faces, as if to ask _Why would know that off-hand?_ Anabel became slightly defensive. " It's my job as a Frontier Brain to look for possible participants of the Battle Frontier, and a league championship is the best way to do this. It also seemed like a good redemption story, a former champ trying to reclaim glory. I even, kind of, "Anabel gulped," made a strong suggestion to Scott about letting him compete in the next go around of the Frontier year."

Brock looked on in horror. He wanted to yell at Anabel, but what could he say? It was not like she knew. He turned to his attention to Ash, curious about his response. Ash had a dead look over his face, one no one could read. Eventually, he spoke.

"If he gets in…"Ash pause, making sure he wanted to phrase what he said next like that, "I hope he manages to get up to my girlfriend. Heck, I almost hope he can beat her. That way, it would show that it was worth it. That losing your family and ignoring your son for training was worth it."

Brock and Anabel nodded, understanding where Ash was coing from. Anabel then paused, mid-nod, as one word echoed in her head. Girlfriend…

"Did you just call me your girlfriend?" Anabel asked hopefully. She squealed as Ash nodded.

"Though I am not convinced I won't turn out like my dad, I believe in what Brock said enough to take that chance. And I just assumed you would say yes, since we both know that we love the other." Ash said, oddly calm. Not oddly, though, since a great fear was finally (mostly) unclouded from his mind. Anabel was so happy at hearing this since she was literally frozen in her spot, unable to move towards Ash. Ash noticed this, and gave a light laugh. He moved towards her, and grabbed her around the waist. "I think I need to do this again, since I threw you off of me the first time." Anabel melted as his lips connected with hers, and Ash began to push in passionately. Anabel recovered and pushed back, and the two began a rhythmic motion to keep up the kiss. Anabel tried to let her tongue in, but Ash lightly declined, knowing Brock was still watching them. Anabel realized this too, and they abruptly stopped, slight blushes covering their cheeks. Brock grinned, happy at the love between his best friend and the Salon Maiden. Ash smirked at him, knowing the best way to wipe the smile off Brock's face.

"So, when are you telling us about Ivy?"

Brock grimaced at the thought, now feeling worse than ever about telling his young friend. Though Ash didn't see the grimace.

He was too busy looking at his girlfriend, and thinking how great it was to say he had a girlfriend. He wanted to think about it more, but he was too surprised about Anabel's lips meeting his for another round.

Ash could get use to this.

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><p>And... done. I hope you liked it, and like all the loose ends for future stories to tie up. My next story will probably deal with Anabel and Delia, and it will be a good one! Many others will folow. Please, like and review!<p> 


	4. Fear of Delia

On the advice of a reviewee Codenamed-Bolt, I am just going to add stories to this fic, so they are all clean. This one deals with Anabel and Delia, with Delia not being pleased about the relationship. Hope you like where it is going, and like where I go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

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><p>It had been a few days since Anabel and Ash had gotten together, and Delia was back at the house. She noticed Ash was in a happy mood, much happier than he had been since he came back from Unova. When she asked him about it, he told her not to worry.<p>

Ash knew that his mother wanted him to be with Misty. She loved Misty like a daughter, and wanted her to be one. She had pushed Ash in the past to be with her, but Ash always resisted. Ash's mother clung to the hope that someday, her Ash would be walking down the aisle with her Misty. Ash also knew she didn't trust Anabel, as she suspected her feelings towards Ash, and Ash's feelings towards her. She considered her as a daughter robber, stealing the girl that should be her daughter from her.

Ash was afraid of his mother's reaction to the news, but Anabel wasn't. She decided she would take the heat of the conversation, and have a one-on-one with her, telling her of their relationship and other plans they had. Ash thanked her a hundred times over, and left Anabel to her own devices.

Finally, a week after the two had gotten together; Anabel was prepared to talk to Delia. She had her Alakazam on hand, in case she attacked her. While Delia was out, Anabel made a pot of tea and set up the china in preparation for the talk. Delia came back to the house, surprised to find Anabel sitting in her living room, alone, with the tea ready to be served.

"Please Delia, sit down. We need to talk." Anabel motioned to the other chair.

Delia looked at her suspiciously, but granted her request. She calmly sat down in the seat next to her, and gave a fake smile. "Ok, dear. What would you like to talk about?"

Anabel smiled back." I want to talk to you about Ash."

Delia eyes perked up. "Yes, what about him?"

Anabel took a deep breath and exhaled. "I am here to tell you that Ash and I are now together."

The color nearly went from Delia's face. "Wha, what, what dear?"

"Me and Ash are dating." Anabel put it bluntly.

Delia put back on a fake smile. "That is… good"

Anabel shook her head. "You can stop the act, Delia. I can sense how you really feel."

Delia put on a smirk instead. "I forgot about that. Tell me, what do you sense?"

"Animosity. Strong dislike. An overall dislike for me. A wish that Ash was with a certain red-headed gym leader than me." Anabel was playing it cool, since she sensed something else.

Delia nodded. "That sounds about right. I don't like you Anabel. I don't think I would like you even if you hadn't stolen Ash from Misty."

Anabel shook her head. "I didn't take Ash from Misty. Misty gave up on Ash a while ago."

Delia shook her head right back at her. "Impossible. Misty still comes over, crying about how Ash doesn't notice her, and how much she loves Ash."

Anabel cocks her head. "That doesn't even sound like Misty. And whenever I am around, she doesn't give off any romantic feelings for Ash."

Delia glared at her. "Well, she is just hiding them from you. You know, I think that is part of the reason why I don't like you. You think you can invade people's private feelings, and they would never know."

Anabel sighed. "It isn't like I do it on purpose. It just happens. And, she wouldn't be able to hide them from me. Only people with training can even think about doing something like that."

"Well, she has been hiding her feelings for years from people; she has had enough experience with it to block it off from people like you." Delia said defiantly.

Anabel just shook her head. "I doubt it. I am telling you that she is over any romantic feelings she had for Ash. Could you please get off the Misty trip and just be happy your son has found someone that he actually will love."

"And what does that mean?" Delia asked her, unsure of what she meant.

"Did Ash ever tell you why he never looked at girls?" Anabel asked, much to Delia's surprise.

Delia sighed. "Well, as much as I love him, you have to admit he can be dense at times." Anabel stopped her there.

"Actually, from what he told me, he always understood romance. Getting read romance novels and watching chick flicks with you made sure of that."

Delia shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't be the type to read him stories about monsters, or watch action movies, now am I?"

Anabel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I understand. But Ash never looked at girls because he was afraid he would be like his father."

Delia looked away, frowning. She looked at the chest that had the picture of Red within. "I can… understand that. Ash would think like that."

Seeing this as a way in, Anabel grabbed Delia's hand, gaining her attention. "But he feels that I am worth any risk, though me and Brock tried to tell him there is none. And I hope you can be happy for us, and accept me as Ash's girlfriend."

Delia listened, and found herself agreeing up until the word 'girlfriend'. Then, she broke out of the trance. "Wait, Brock knows? Who else knows about this relationship?"

Anabel shrugged. "No one, really. It isn't like we would go call all of our friends and tell them. Pretty much anyone that has seen us in town, Brock, and you."

"So you haven't told Misty?" Delia asked, wheels spinning around in her head.

"No, not yet." Anabel was beginning to see where she was going

"Then why don't we tell her. Then you will see that she is still in love with Ash." Delia said triumphantly.

Anabel sighed. "Fine. Let's tell Misty."

Both were confident that they were the one that was right. They walked to the kitchen, where the videophone was kept. Delia motioned Anabel to call, and Anabel sighed. She punched in the numbers to the Cerulean Gym, waiting to hear what she already knew. Misty answered the phone.

"Hey Anabel! How is it going?"

"Really well. Guess what?" Anabel was going for it immediately.

"What?"

"Me and Ash finally got together!"

Delia was shocked at Anabel's forwardness. Anabel knew of Misty's temper, and she had just openly provoked it. Delia almost pitied Anabel. Almost.

"Oh my god! Finally! You guys are such a cute couple!" Misty squealed enthusiastically.

Delia was stunned. She quickly walked on-screen and glared at Misty. "What?"

Misty actually backed down as she saw her. "Um, hi Ms. Ketchum!" She meekly waved at her.

Delia shook her head. "You are not mad. Furious. Angry at Anabel? What is going on here?"

Misty shook her head weakly. "No, not really."

Delia was still fuming. "Then why did you come over, and cry to me. Tell me how you wish Ash would see you. How Ash would grow up and love you. How, just a few days ago, you called me just to talk about Ash? Can you explain that?"

Misty's cheeks went red. "No."

Delia just glared at her." Then what the heck is going on! Why are you not mad that Anabel took Ash from you?"

Misty just shrugged her shoulders. "Why should I be? Ash was never mine. He never had feelings for me. And I don't have feelings for him"

Delia just looked at her incredulously." Then why the hell have you been crying on my shoulder for years about him? Why did you confess your love of Ash to me?""

Misty looked away from her.""

Delia shook her head. "Answer me, Misty. Why?"

Misty cheeks turned red, and shook her head. "No."

"Misty Kasumi Waterflower, answer me right now!" Delia forcefully told her.

Misty just looked at her, with an odd glint in her eyes. A glint Anabel could read.

She walked back on-screen. "Was it because you can't tell her who you really love?"

Misty's mouth dropped. "I didn't know you could feel the emotion of people over the phone!"

Anabel shook her head. "No, but I can read facial expressions pretty well."

Delia look confused. "So it's true. You wouldn't tell me who you really love?" Misty nodded her head slowly. "Can you tell me now?"

Misty looked at her, gulping. Anabel had a good idea what she was thinking, but it was up to Misty to say it. There was an awkward silence, before Misty broke it.

"I… can't."

Delia just looked back at her. "Misty, you know I love you, right? That I won't hurt you. You can tell me who you are in love with."

Misty began to shake. She tried to form the words, but couldn't. Anabel gave her a thumbs-up, trying to encourage her. It worked. "You."

"What?" Delia was in disbelief.

"I'm in love with you, Ms. Ketchum." Misty said, a little more strongly this time.

Only one word ran through Delia's mind. "Why?"

Misty looked at Anabel, and Anabel just nodded at her. Anabel slowly backed off, as Misty began explaining.

"Well, at first, I thought of you like a mom. And you loved me like one, and that was really nice. But, the more I hung out with you… the more my feelings changed. I knew no one was there to love you, and I wanted to be that person. But… you only loved me like a daughter. And I needed a way to express my feelings, so I just kept saying it was Ash. But it's been you, and it's been you for a long time. I'm sorry."

Delia just looked at her. She cracked a smile. "Thank you, Misty. That is very sweet. How would you like to come over, so we can talk about it. In private." She made a quick glance towards Anabel. "Is that okay?"

Misty was feeling better, as she wasn't completely rejected. "Ok, Ms. Ketchum. I will. Well, I have to get going anyway. I will come over as when I can. Well, bye." She waved good-bye.

Anabel quickly called from offscreen. "Bye, Misty."

Delia nodded to her. "Good bye. And Misty?"

"Yes, Ms. Ketchum?"

"You can call me Delia."

Misty blushed. "Ok, bye. Delia." She shut the videophone off.

Delia slowly walked back to the living room, ignoring Anabel. Anabel just stood though, feeling odd. She had won the argument, but possibly ruined a relationship. Who would have thought Misty would be in love with Delia? She would have never guessed that. She felt sorry for Misty, having to go through that. Anabel followed her into the next room.

She was very tempted to read her feelings, to find out how she felt about what she had just learned, but she couldn't. It was too private. Too personal. Anabel knew that she should only know what Delia would tell her. Anabel found her sitting back down, actually pouring a cup of tea. Anabel quietly sat down beside her.

"So, what are you thinking?" Anabel asked politely.

"Can't you tell? You're the empath." Delia said, only managing to put in a pinch of bite.

"I'd rather not. I understand this is really personal, and I shouldn't know anything that you don't want to tell me." Anabel told her simply.

Delia nodded. "Thank you for that. But I don't think you could read my emotions if you try. I feel flattered, that someone loves me. I feel shocked, since that person is Misty. A little betrayed, because I have been lied to. Kind of dumb, since I never noticed it. And happy for Misty that she moved on from my son since he had found someone."

"So, do you have any idea what you are going to say when Misty comes over?" Anabel asked innocently.

Delia shook her head. "Not really. What do you say in a situation like this? Honestly, it will probably come from the heart."

Anabel nodded in agreement. "I think that is for the best."

They sat there, in silence for a minute. They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Finally, Anabel decided to get back to the original purpose of the discussion. "So, how are you feeling about me and Ash now?"

Delia looked at Anabel for a moment, and broke into a small smile. "Though I may not like you that much, you are the one my Ash wants to be with, and I respect his decisions." She paused for a moment, and her attitude shifted some." Though if you ever hurt him, I will get Misty to use her mallet on you. Understand, missy?"

Anabel, even without trying, could feel the seriousness in Delia's words. "Yes, mam." She nodded to Delia's terms, and looked away.

Delia smiled at her compliance, feeling slightly better about the situation. "Well, good. Anything else you would like to talk about?"

Anabel thought about it for a moment, and thought Delia deserve to know. "I think you deserve to know, that I know."

Delia hadn't expected this, and was confused. "Know what?"

Anabel hesitated to say it. "I didn't exactly look for it, but read it when you told me to read your reaction earlier."

Delia was seriously confused. "What?"

Anabel sighed. "That you're pregnant."

Delia's eyes went wide. She knew she was pregnant, but knew it was too early for any symptoms to show." How do you know?"

"Like I said, I sensed it when you told me to read your emotions earlier. I noticed there was two signatures, only possible if the women is pregnant."

Delia nodded at the information, not really understanding what she meant, but understood what it meant. An uncomfortable look spread over her face. "Please, don't tell Ash. Or anyone, for that matter. I want to be the one that tells people, to tell Ash."

Anabel nodded. "Of course, I would never do that. Ash shouldn't be hearing that he is going to be a brother from his girlfriend." Delia flinched at the 'g' word, but was happy Anabel wouldn't say anything. Anabel continued. "If you don't mind me asking, who is the father?"

Delia had an embarrassed look on the face. "I don't want to say. I haven't even told him that I'm pregnant."

Anabel pressed, out of curiosity. "Is it someone I know?"

Delia was still embarrassed. "I'm not saying."

Despite all of her maturity, Anabel could act like an average teenage girl at times. This was one of them." Come on, tell me!"

Delia gave a serious motherly look at her. "I said no!" Her voice was very forceful, enough for Anabel to stop.

"Ok." That was all Anabel could muster.

Delia finally took a sip of the tea she had poured earlier. "Uhh, it's too tart." She told herself. She grabbed the pot and walked back to the kitchen. "I am making a new batch. Alright, Anabel?" She didn't leave enough time for Anabel to respond. She was already in the kitchen, dumping out the tart tea.

Anabel was left alone, to think to herself. She only had one sentiment.

"That went well."

* * *

><p>So, this was interesting, right? First off, I did not find a name for MistyxDelia, so, unless someone knows otherwise, it is hereby called Surrogateshipping, since delia is a surrogate mom and misty a surrogate daughter. I don't want to make it solely about Ash and Anabel, hence the widening of sub-plots. Once I set them all in motion, the stories will include parts oef each, and not be exclusively for one. the first reviewer who can guess A. The father of Delia' kid and B. when it occured gets an advanced read on my next up-date and gets their opinion first. Only one guess per reviewer. So, tell me how I did in your reviews, and i hoped you loved it!<p> 


	5. Fear of Dating

So, here is the long awaited fifth segment. This is where multiple story lines are introduced at one chapter at a time. They are seperated by single space breaks, where the beginning and ending will now be seperated by double line breaks. This chapter reveals a few things, but Delia's storyline is not advanced, but others are. I hope you like how I made each character. Enjoy my story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

* * *

><p>Ash had been really afraid to hear back from Anabel about how his mother took the news of their relationship, but once Anabel came back with the news of his mother's acceptance, he became ecstatic. He would have stayed with Anabel no matter what, but he was glad his mother had come to terms that he would be with Anabel and not Misty. When he asked if she tried to give him a hard time, Anabel took a long time to respond, as she was unsure of how much to tell him. Ash was getting worried, but before he could vocalize his concern, she decided to be honest about it.<p>

"Yeah, your mom did try." Ash sighed. He knew that would happen, but Anabel had been so insistent.

"What did she do to you?" He was hoping it wasn't too bad.

"She made me tell Misty."

Ash began to laugh. He had thought his mother understood that Misty had gotten over him. "What did she say?"

"She thought it was great, and she is happy that we are together."

Ash shook his head. "Good to hear. What did my mom think when she heard that?"

Anabel gulped. This was the tough part, to tell Ash what she knew.

"Well, your Mom flipped out on Misty. She yelled at her for not being mad. She yelled at her for coming to her over the past few years, crying to her about how Ash didn't realize her feelings for you."

Ash made Anabel pause. "Wait, she has been going to my mom about her feelings for me? But I swore she got over them back when I began the Battle Frontier. And I am pretty sure you would have told me if she still had feelings."

"No, I wouldn't have said anything," Anabel started, "but she definitely did not have feelings for you. The truth is- much weirder."

Ash laughed. "Weird? Have I told you about some of my adventures? Nothing can surprise me."

Anabel could not help but laugh at the bravado Ash was boasting. Ash cocked his head, confused. "What's so funny?"

Anabel managed to get her laughter under control. "Trust me, this will surprise you."

"Try me."

Anabel took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Misty is in love with your mother."

Ash laughed. "Nice try, Anabel. Now what really happened?"

Anabel shook her head. "Misty's love for your mom turned from her being a maternal figure to a romantic interest."

Ash just sat there, waiting for Anabel to take it back. When they had sat there for almost a minute, and she hadn't taken it back, Ash accepted what Anabel was telling her as the truth, but he still didn't believe it.

"Misty likes…my mom? That doesn't even… I mean… what the hell?" Ash began to babble incoherently.

Anabel just shrugged. "The heart is a very complicated thing, and one never knows what it will do."

Ash finally took a deep breath and calmed down. "So, what did my mom think?"

"She didn't know, but she invited Misty over to talk about it."

Ash shuddered. "Imagine if they got together. That would be really be weird. My best friend would be like a step-mom. That is really creepy to think about."

Anabel raised her eyebrow. "Do you think you would accept it if your mom and Misty got together?"

Anabel looked at her for a few minutes, before answering. "Well, I would accept it. Love does its own thing, and I won't comment on how it works. But it is still something really weird to think about."

Anabel and Ash decided to drop the topic, and quietly enjoyed each other's company. Finally, Anabel broke the silence with a random question.

"So, when are you taking me on a date?" Ash's reaction was priceless.

* * *

><p>Brock sat alone in his room, looking at a picture he hadn't looked at in over 5 years. It was a simple picture, of him sitting with a beautiful purple haired women in a lab coat. It was, of course, Professor Felina Ivy, a women that his friends knew as a taboo subject when in the presence of the tan skinned man. They looked very happy together, and they had been on the day this photo. Her assistants weren't around for once, and they actually managed to have a romantic evening that night. In fact, later that night… Brock didn't like to think about anything about that night, or his experiences with Professor Ivy in general. He was honestly surprised that he never threw the picture out, but it had a very important purpose. It made him remember. Even though he didn't like to, he had to remember. Around then, he got interrupted by his little brother and Pewter City Gym Leader, Forrest.<p>

"Hey Brock. Can I get some serious advice?"

Brock turned to his younger brother, surprise by the question. He was a little younger than Ash, 16, and he had never asked him for some "serious advice". Obviously, he took an interest in this.

He patted the side of his bed, offering him a seat. "Sure Forrest, what's up?"

He shuffled over to Brock and plopped himself to where Brock offered. "Well, I need some advice about… Dawn."

Brock's eyebrow raised. "Dawn? As in, Dawn Berlitz? The girl I traveled with in Sinnoh with Ash?"

Forrest gave a quick nod. "Yeah her. I wanted to know… if she liked anybody."

Brock's eyes went wide, suddenly understanding his predicament. He had a crush on her. He gave an evil grin, which made Forrest shift uncomfortably. Then he spoke. "Why would you want to know if Dawn likes anybody. Say, you, for example?" Forrest flinched.

"I didn't mean me, I was just asking." Forrest was quick to defend himself, a sure sign of his crush.

"Sure you were. And I don't hit on every cute girl I see." Brock forced out a chuckle, not wanting to think about his bad habit.

Forrest frowned, but quickly let it up. "I really don't. I just think that… someone like Dawn… should have a nice, good boyfriend. Someone who would help her in her dreams."

Brock flinched. More than flinched, he froze. He had once said the exact same thing about Professor Ivy, in private, to one of her assistants. He didn't want to think about it.

"Um, I don't know Forrest. If you like her, just tell her." He shooed him out before he could say anything else. Brock didn't want to think about it anymore.

* * *

><p>"A date?" Ash managed to ask after a minute of random facial gestures.<p>

Anabel nodded peacefully, unaffected by his reaction. "Yes, a date. If I recall correctly, it is normal for a boyfriend and girlfriend to go out on a date with one another."

"But why? I love you, and you love me. We both know this. And what does a date do?" Ash didn't know why he was opposed to a date, but he was. Part of him subconsciously knew it was because he still feared love, but he wasn't thinking about that right now.

"A date… is just something a boyfriend and girlfriend does. It is a special romantic evening between two lovers meant to help make them closer. Something I want to do, and something you should want to do." Anabel had already figured out Ash's hesitation, and was trying to work through it, which is why she wasn't being pushy or overbearing.

Ash knew she was right, but now he was arguing just for arguing's sake. It was a fault of his, something he had picked up from traveling with Misty.

"Yeah, but we are close enough. We have only been together for like a week. And we are best friends too. There isn't much closer we can get, can we?"

Anabel sighed. This was more difficult than she wanted it to be. Ash was being unnecessarily difficult and if it had been anyone else, she would have given up, but not for Ash. "Maybe, but this will help us romantically become closer, something we have not been in the past because of your reluctance to become so."

Ash shuddered at the direct blow. He was limited in his response to the most basic of them. "Have not."

Anabel fell into the trap due to her frustration with him. "Have too."

"Have not."

"Have too."

"Have not."

"Have not."

Anabel finally caught where this was going and stopped herself. "No, I am- I mean we are above this. I have not having a pity argument about whether or not we are going on a date. If I have to fight with you over this, then…" Anabel got up and left, leaving the statement up in the air. It was an empty threat, but it was a serious one. Anabel knew Ash needed.

* * *

><p>Scott was making his final call for challengers of the upcoming Battle Frontier season. His final call was an interesting person, one of the oldest people to ever challenge the Battle Frontier. He was a former league champion from twenty five years before, but tragedy screwed up his career. He had been working hard creating a team that would be strong enough, training off and on at Mount Silver. From what he understood, he had recently conquered the Orange Islands and had nearly won the Hoenn League. He was a top notch competitor for the league, the perfect someone to get his Frontier Brains on their toes and more serious in their efforts. It had taken a few calls, but he finally found him at a Pokemon Center near Mount Silver.<p>

"Hello, is this Red Sato?"

The figure grunted. "Yeah."

"My name is Scott, and I wanted to make you an offer. Have you ever heard of the Battle Frontier?"

Red nodded. "Yeah, I heard about it. Apparently it is real tough, only one kid has ever beat it."

Scott nodded back. "Yeah, his name was Ash Ketchum," Scott noticed a flinch at the name and was interested, "What do you know the kid or something?"

Red shook his head. "I don't think so, but I heard the name Ketchum before. His mom named Delia?"

Scott thought that was a weird question to ask, but he acquiesced. "Actually it is. So you know his mom then?"

Red didn't respond. "We were talking about the Battle Frontier." He changed the subject abruptly.

Scott didn't like it, but knew that was what they were supposed to be talking about. "Yes, I was calling to invite you to participate in this year's run of the Battle Frontier. Are you interested?"

Red didn't respond immediately. Scott waited for a minute, and was beginning to expect a no, when a "Yes" went through Red's lips.

Scott smiled. "Good to hear. The season will begin in three weeks. Meet me in Viridian City where I will give you the location of the first brain. Understand?" Red nodded. "Then good day."

Red murmured a bye back, and Scott disconnected. Red turned away from the phone, not thinking about the new league he was competing in, but the newest piece of information he had on Delia. She had a son. His name was Ash. And apparently, he was a damn good trainer.

* * *

><p>Ash walked into Anabel's bedroom, where she had been hiding since their little spat. He sighed, attracting her attention. She just looked at him, waiting for him to say something.<p>

"Anabel, I'm sorry. I was just being stubborn earlier. We should really go on a date. I called up Tracey, since he is the boyfriend of Lily and stuff, and asked him what to do. So I have a reservation to go to some fancy restaurant in Celadon City, and I reserved tickets we can pick up at the theatre in Celadon. It is for a play called Meowths, it is supposed to be really good. We are going tomorrow night, so you have the afternoon to pick out what you are going to wear." He took a deep breath after conveying all that information. "Are you happy now?"

Anabel sighed, getting out of bed, and stare at Ash. "You still don't get what I mean by a date." Ash looked down for a moment, but Anabel lifted him up immediately as she walked towards him. "But this is a good, a really really good start." She smiled as she stood next to him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She whispered into his ear, "And I can't wait for the date", and walked right by him, leaving him to wear a prideful grin on his face. He hope what Tracey said about dates were true.

"They are different from just hanging out. They are a concentrated romantic experience, giving you an emotional high better than the one you got by beating Drake in the Orange Islands. It's pure bliss."

* * *

><p>So, Delia had the kid. Why I am not surprised? Red thought to himself, leaving the phone booth in a daze.<p>

* * *

><p>So there it is, chapter 5. Hope it was worth the wait! I want your reviews, to help me figure out if you guys like how the story is going. And I swear, Delia's baby daddy will be revealed next chapter!<p> 


	6. Fear of the Misty

The delay was wrong, sorry, I got into Naruto part of this website, and stayed there for a while. On that note, read my new Naruto story, The Hat Hangs Heavy! It has gotten a fantastic response, and I want you to share in it success. So, finally I reveal the identity of Ash's new sibling and sorry to say no one guessed it. Enjoy the story, and please review

* * *

><p>Ash returned that night to his home, with the awkward information of who was crushing on his mother and the great information that his mother had accepted his relationship with Anabel. Once he returned his Heracross to his pokeball (Ash still did not have a license), he entered the house, intent on thanking his mother. Instead, he found himself to an empty house, with Pikachu napping in the living room, and a phone ringing. He quickly made his way to the kitchen to answer the phone.<p>

"Hello?" He asked, before he saw who it was.

"Hey, Ash!" Misty called to him, a fake smile on. She had been hoping to talk to Delia.

"Oh, Misty, umm…hi." Ash felt very awkward around Misty, which he thought was understandable.

Misty noticed. "So, what's going on?" She asked carefully.

Ash gave a small smile. "Uh, me and Anabel are going on a date tomorrow."

Misty began to nod. "That's good to hear." She paused, thinking, before getting an uneasy look. "So Anabel told you that she told me?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

"What else did she tell you?"

Ash began to cough nervously, and scratched the back of his head. "Um, well, she told me about… she told me… Misty, do you really like my mom?"

Misty began to blush, and shook her head. "No."

Ash sighed in relief, "Okay."

Misty continued. "I'm in love with her."

Ash froze. A look of shock was on his face. "Love? B-b-but why?"

Misty began to rub her elbow, showing her discomfort. "I just do. She… she makes me happy. I can be myself around her. I trust her. And… I know that she has raised you alone. And been alone for awhile. I want to be the one that gives her comfort. Do you understand?" She forced out all the words, uncomfortable with admitting this to her best friend.

Ash took in the information, and tried to compare it to the only standard he had. Anabel. And he found a lot of similarities. "I think I do. It is really weird for me though. I mean, my best friend is in love with my mom. And she is gay! I mean, I know I called you a tomboy and stuff, but I didn't think, you know…"

Misty began to nod. "I understand, Ash, it is weird for me to-" Misty paused, thinking of what Ash said. "Gay? What do you mean I'm gay."

"Well, you are in love with a girl, and you're a girl, so doesn't that make you a lesbian or something?" Ash hesitantly deduced, afraid of a possible verbal lashing.

Misty's first instinct was to yell, but she was internally overrided and she considered his point, It did make since. She thought about it a little more, then shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe. But that really isn't the point here, now is it?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I guess. So, I am guessing you are looking for my mom, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to tell her that I'm coming up tomorrow with Lily so that we can…talk and stuff."

Ash nodded. "Okay, well, she isn't here right now. I have no clue where she is."

…

Delia Ketchum was at the base of the Oak laboratory, trying to work up the courage to tell the father. She felt horrible, since the father did not even know anything happened between them, as he did not do well with drinking, and there had been a lot of it on Ash's birthday. When she had woken up the next morning in the woods with him naked, and remembered what happened, she made a fast getaway and promised to never think about that night again. But it had bitten her in the butt, and know she was growing the bag. A small part of her brain was pitying him, because he wondered what would happen when Misty found out what he did, and how he had cheated on his sister with the women she loved…

…

Misty sighed. "That kind of sucks. So, where are you taking Anabel for your date. An all you can eat buffet?" She teased him slightly.

Ash frowne. "Even I know better than that. I'm taking her to see Meowth's in Celadon, and where having dinner at El Macargo."

Misty's eyes widened. "Wow, that is a lot more fancy that I thought you were capable of."

Ash shrugged it off. "Well, I kind of got Anabel mad when I said I didn't see the point of a date, so I went full out to fix it."

Misty shook her head. "You are an idiot, you know that?"

Ash smirked. "No, but you are still a runt."

Misty grew red in anger. "What did you call me?"

Ash's smirk turned into a smile. "Runt."

Misty lost it. "I swear to god Ash Ketchum, I will slaughter your water unicorns and eat them for breakfast!"

Ash just looked at her, as if it to ask, "What the hell?"

Misty blushed. "I have been on, um, this website call , and that was on there and um… I use it to scare my sisters about these stuffed animals they have. It has kind of become my go to insult."

Ash could only slowly nod his head. "Sure, that makes sense, Scrawny."

Misty's embarrassment disappeared. "That's it. Delia is losing a child when I come up there tomorrow."

Ash, to his eternal embarrassment, trembled. Misty smirked. "Just tell your mom I'm heading over, alright?"

Ash, downcast, nodded his head. "See ya later, Mist."

"You too, Ashy Boy." Misty quickly logged off, before Ash could realize what she called him. Ash wanted to get mad, but what was the point? He instead decided to relax next to Pikachu, slowly scratching his head, waiting for his mom to come home.

…

It was a long boat ride from Pacificdog Town to Cerulean City, so Red decided to take a little rest in his cabin. He wasn't the biggest fans of ships, since he got seasickness once in a while, but it was nothing. He laid down on the cot in the private room he had scored, and tried to think about what Pokemon would be best for the Battle Frontier challenge from what he had heard. He knew of only a few of the people and what they did. He heard that one girl had no defensive strategy at all, just an offensive berserker who would pound down your pokémon. He heard of another was a famous archaeologist who used legendary Pokemon, and another about a guy had a huge collection of Pokemon and you could face any of them of your choosing. He heard that Delia's kid challenged an Articuno of all things and beat it with his ringer Pokemon.

Delia's kid. He must be about 18 by now. He wondered what he looked like. He had thought about searching through the records for him, but thought that would be a little odd and decided against it. He honestly sure if he wanted to meet the kid or not. On one hand, the kid had survived without him until adulthood so he wasn't exactly needed. On the other hand… it was his kid too. A kid he didn't want, a kid he thought he never had, but still his kid. He knew if his dad wasn't with him throughout his life and could show up, he would want to meet him.

Or he could go and apologize to Delia. He would admit that he didn't handle their departure nearly 19 years ago very well. Handing her the money to deal with the problem and leaving on the day he was planning to leave regardless of what was said was terrible and tactless, but what was done was done. He had the entire trip to figure out what he should go.

…

Delia had managed to shake Professor Oak and his questions on why she needed to talk with Tracey, and had managed to find him feeding the Pokemon their suppers. She checked over her shoulder to make sure that they were all alone, and coughed.

"Huh?" Tracey was startled by the cough and looked around. "Oh, hi Ms. Ketchum. Professor Oak is in the lab."

"I know, Tracey, I need to talk with you."

"Me? What for?"

Delia took a deep breath in. "Do you remember Ash's birthday party a few months back?"

Tracey laughed nervously. "I don't really. Remember? Gary spiked the punchbowl to make Ash look like an idiot but I ended up drinking half the bowl since I was so thirsty. I don't remember anything from that nught."

Delia blushed. "I figured as much. I wasn't holding my wine that well that night myself." She let out a giggle in spite of the atmosphere, and Tracey followed with his chuckle.

She stopped and quietly whispered. "Probably how it happened, too."

Despite the whisper, Tracey caught it. He had to have acute senses, working with pokémon all day. "What do you mean?"

Delia gathered her willpower up, and confessed. "We had sex that night."

Tracey froze at that, and began to hyperventilate. Surprised by that reaction, Delia tried to calm him down, gently rubbing his back and whispering calming phrased to him. After a minute, he calmed himself down, and let his face be taken over in terror. "Really?"

Delia nodded her head softly. "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you and Lily were in a rough patch, and I didn't want to ruin things between you two. I know you love her a lot."

Tracey just nodded still scared. "Misty will kill me for cheating on her sister if she ever finds out." Tracey desperately looked at Delia. "You won't tell them, will you? Please say you won't." He grabbed her hands, pleading with her.

Delia slowly removed them. "I won't, but they will find out."

"W-why?" Tracey stuttered out.

Delia looked into Tracey's eyes, and looked to her stomach, which she gently touched with one of her hands.

At that moment, it all became clear to Tracey. Why she was telling him this, why they would find out. He was going to be a father.

He passed out.


End file.
